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City: Water restrictions likely

Recent rain slightly raised area lake levels but mandatory water restrictions may still come in the near future, city officials said during a Bartlesville City Council meeting on Monday night.

Director of Engineering and Water Utilities Terry Lauritsen updated the council on water levels at the city’s two sources for water supply — Hulah Lake and Hudson Lake. He said Hulah Lake has 39.7 percent water supply remaining and Hudson Lake has 82.8 percent water supply remaining.

“I suspect that we’ll, council, move toward mandatory (water) restrictions very shortly and then as this progresses, of course the fee increases are necessary to help encourage water restriction,” City Manager Ed Gordon said during the meeting.

The city is currently under voluntary water restrictions — which are considered to be “mandatory” without penalties attached. It has been requested that water customers restrict outdoor watering to just once a week — with even-numbered homes on Tuesday and odd-numbered homes on Thursday — and that there be no residential car washing.

City officials have been looking at a number of contingency plans for dealing with low lake levels.

Lauritsen said city officials met with Corps of Engineers officials on Monday regarding Copan Lake. The city was able to secure a temporary agreement during drought conditions a decade ago to utilize water from the lake, and efforts to obtain the right to purchase water supply from Copan Lake on a permanent basis have been under way since that time.

“As you recall, back in 2001, 2002, Copan Lake was very instrumental in us getting through that drought,” Lauritsen said.

According to Lauritsen, Copan Lake is in good shape as far as water supply, with the lake being at just under 75 percent of water supply remaining.

Ultimately, the result of Monday’s meeting is that the Corps of Engineers in drafting a 90-day temporary contract for water, according to Lauritsen. He said a draft contract would probably be available for the city’s review in early to mid-March.

Lauritsen said there will be fees associated with the contract, which Gordon said would be substantially less than a long-term contract.

The contract will not be executed until it is needed.

“As you know, we had a significant rain event last week … unfortunately, that rain event didn’t generate much runoff. I think a lot of it soaked into the ground,” Lauritsen said.

Lauritsen said Hulah Lake had a seven inch increase and Hudson Lake increased two inches.

According to Lauritsen, in November 2012, water treatment averaged 5.399 million gallons per day; in December 2012 — when water restrictions were put in place — treatment dropped down to an average of 4.792 million gallons per day; and in January, treatment averaged 4.814 million gallons per day.